Sports Redux: T is for Tough (and Technicals)

After destroying the Magic on Monday night, 107-88, Paul Pierce described the Celtics effort to the Globe as "like a statement game for us." But what kind of statement are they trying to make? We're still trying to figure it out.

On one hand, there's the obvious statement: give us an inch and we will roll all over you and leave you wishing you were back playing pickup ball like you used to back in the good ol' days. There's the clear commitment to notching back-to-back championship titles. And there's the "every single one of us is in this, whether we're playing or not" team unity statement.

The last would be reflected by the fact that Sam Cassell, who has yet to play a single minute of a single game this season, worked his way into last night's box score. How? For getting himself kicked off the bench and out of the game during the fourth quarter. Kicked out of a game he was never actually in! It was part of the FIVE technical fouls recorded by Boston alone during the showdown.

But let's focus on the positive. Pierce led Celtics scoring with 24, Ray Allen chipped in 21 and Rajon Rondo added 16. The Celts have now won nine straight. They face down the Pacers Wednesday night and have to be feeling good.

On the Red Sox front, TekWatch continues. The Sox offered arbitration to Jason Varitek and Paul Byrd last night. In other baseball news, the 2008 Turnkey Team Brand survey seems to indicate that Green Bay Packers fans are more diehard than Red Sox fans. Not knocking the Cheeseheads, but we're almost scared to imagine living somewhere where fans are even more obsessed with a sports team than is the case in Boston.

Photo by flickr user psd